Curricular provision and students’ attainment in Chemistry: The gap of meaning

In this paper, we examine the distance between the intended outcomes as described by the Romanian National Curriculum for chemistry and the actual acquisition as shown in the science achievement data of the 8th grade students participating in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 (TIMSS 2003). The expected performances in chemistry after eight years of studying sciences in an interdisciplinary or disciplinary approach, correlated with the intended outcomes requested by the other sciences curricula (physics, biology and geography) are not reached by the great majority of the Romanian students.